Rail-brace.



tra

"embodiment ot' narran enligne AilgritNT OFFICE.

JOHN Gr. MUELLER, F DAYTQN, OHIO.

RAIL-BRACE.

To @ZZ /r/lm/zit may concern.'

lle it hnoivn that l, ,loim Cf. MUnLLnn, a eitizaen ot the llnitedStates, residing at liayten, in tue county 'of ll'lontgomery and tate ottlhio, have. invented certain ne1 and useful improvements inRail-Braces, of which the following is a specilicationj reif-- err-neebeing had therein to the accompany ing drawing.

llliis invention relates to rail braces such as are employed inconnection with railroad trunks.

The object of the invention is to provide br ce which will ell'ectuallyprevent any movement the rails relatively one to the oth e' any movementot the two rails re- 'to the ties and to combine with such a brace means'for preventing the rails cute nto the ties along one edge in such a.man 'r as to cause the rails to tilt.

To this end it is a further object of the invention to provide aAcombined tie .plate and elampii device wliieh is adapted to be seearedboth to the tie and to the rail, and to provide means ltor connectingtogether the combined devices which are secured to the two rails, thereby-proriding a ri gid structure which ivill l'irmly brace the railsand pre vent any movci'nent thereof.

lt is also an objeet of the invention to insalate ther-ail braces fromthe rails in sucha' manner as to prevent interference With the signal.circuits. Y

ln the accompanjyfing drawings, Figure 1 is sectional View takentransversely ot the rails: liig, 2 is perspective View ot the eombinedtie plate and clamping device; and lli@ 3 is transverse, sectional Viewof l form ot' the intention. ln these drawings l have illustrated one myinvention and have lshoivn the same as applied to a. track comprisingthe usual rails l provided at their 'loiver'sides with bases or tlangesQ and mounted on ties The braces are applied at intervals along thetrai-h, the length of tbe intervals being determined by thecircumstances surrouiulii'ig each installation.

n 'llhe number olf braees used in a given length ottrachr is immaterialis each braoe staruls alone and completely embodies the invention.isshoivn in the drawings, a combined tieplate clamping device applied toeach end of the tie l and the body portion or tie llate proper, which isindicated at 4, of eaoi devise is arranged beneath its rail Speccationof Letters Patent.

Application filed April 23, 1914.

Patented Oct. 20, 1914.

Serial No. 834,007.

vand between the saine and the tie. These tie plates are rigidly securedto the ties in any .suitable manner. In the present instance they areprovided with spike holes, as shown at 5, and are further provided ontheir lower surface with tapered lugs or pronge G which will bite intothe tie and prevent creeping of the plate. Secured;` to the outer end ofY each plate is a clamping member which, in the present instance/fisshoivn at 7 as formed integraly with the plate. Each plate may have asingle clamping member or it may have twoclamping members, one on eachside of the. same, as shown in ligJQ.. Each clamping member isarrangedat one side ot' the body of the tie plate 4 and is provided witha'reoess 8 shaped to receive the acont portion of the base or flange 2of the rail and to exert a clamping action thereon. The lower portion ofeach. clamping member is provided with a. longitudinal aperture 9through which' extends a rod 1() 'forming a part of the rail brace. Thisrod extends lengthwise of the tie and extends through the aperturedclamping lugs ot the two plates and is provided at one or both ends withnuts ll by means of which the clamping members may be drawn tightlyagainst the flanges of the rail. There is also provided a secondclamping mel'nber to cooperate with each clamping plate, as shown at 19.This clamping member is similar to the' clamping lug l but isdisconnected trom the plate 4 and is free to move lengthwise of the rodl0 on which it is mounted. Snitable means are provided, however, forlool;- ing this clamping i'l'ieuibcr against movement on the rod andthis in 2ans, in the present instance, is shown as comprising a hollowsleeve 13 mounted on the rod l() between the two clamping members 1L andot such a length as to properly space the rails when it is inengagzjement with the respective clamping members.

lo assemble the device theeombined tie and clamping plates are placedbeneath the rails with the clamping members 7 in engagement `with thcouter flanges of' the rails. 'lhe inner clamping members 12 are thenplaced in position to receive the rod as it idly held against movementrelatively one to the other but the two rails are secured to the tieplate in such a manner that they are eieetually held against movementrelatively to the tie. Consequently, thewhole track becomes one rigidstructure,` the several parts of which are incapable of relativemovement. Further, the tie plate prevents the edge of the rail fromchewing the tie and forming a recess along the edge of the rail whicheventually permits the rail to tilt.

To further secure the combined clamping plate and tie plate to the railI may provide the same along the outer edge of the rail With a shoulder14 against which the edge `oi vthe outer flange of the rail bears. Toprevent the brace rods from electrically connecting the two rails andthus interfering with the sional circuits I have shown the clampingmembers as insulated from the rails and from the connecting rod'lO, as

shown at 19 and 20. To reinforce the rod `10 beneath the rail theaperturetl lugs forming parts of the clamping members may be extended,inward to points near the center of the rail. l

It is ysometimes desirable to brace the rails at the joints and toenable this to be done and the rails to be rigidly tied together,l asabove described, I combine the clamping device with the lish plate. InFig. 3 et the drawings I have shown one method by which this can beaccomplished. As here Shown the fish plate ot an ordinary constructionan(1 has rigidly secured thereto and preferably vformed integraltherewith a plate 16 which extends beneath therail and bridges the jointin the same manner that the fish plate bridges the joint. A clampinglmember 17 is rigidly secured to the seat .formed by the fish plate andthe base plate 16 and extends below the plate 1G to receive theltransverse rod, which rod also has mounted thereon a second clampingmenr ber 18. The assembling and clamping operation is similar to thatabove described.

In both iorms of Ithe device the plate which extends beneath the rail iscombined with the clamp and the term tie plate as herein lemployed isintended .to include such a plate whether it is used merely as a tieplate or whether it is combined with afish plate' to iorm a seat. lVhenused in the form of a seat it will ordinarily reet upon a tie but 'theremay'be instances wbere'the at will lie between ties and will beunsuppm'ted. lhu'tlur. it will be apparent that the device can besrruredto the lisll plate in the ina'nner here shown without the use. olthe base. 'plats` or tie plate, in which instaire the clamping` membermay occupy exactly the saine relation to the fish plat. as it does inFig. 1l, the stianazurey being changed only by the on'. .ion of the baseplate. lVncn a single clamping member is used it is usually arrangedabout midway the hrngth ol the fish plate, that is, close to the jointof the rail, butthis is not essential and, ii"v desired,

two clam in members ma i be used one at fications will occur to a personskilled in the,

art.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Ina device ot' the character described, the combination, with a tieplate, and a clamping member secured to one o't the lateral edges ofsaid tie plate and arranged to engage one edge of a rail, of a secondclamping member arranged adjacent to said edge of said tie plate toengage the other edge of the rail and movalle relatively to said tieplate, and means to hold said clamping members in clamping engagementwith said rail.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination, with a tieplate, and clamp-- ing members secured to the respective lateral edgesof said tie plate near one end thereof and arranged to engage the edgeof the rail, of other clamping members arranged adjacent to said edgesel said tie plate to engage the other edge said rail and movablerelatively to said tie plate, and means to hold said clamping members inclamping engagement with the rail.

3. In a device et' the character described, the combination, with a tieplate adapted to be interposed between a. rail and a tie, a

clamping member rigidly secured to said tic plate, projecting beyond thelate al edge thereof and adapted to engage the adjacent flange of saidrail, said clan'lping member having an aperture arranged beneath saidrail along the side of said tie, and a rod ycxtending through saidaperture, of a second clamping men'lbcr mounted on said rod, and meansto hold one oil said clamping members against movement relatively tosaid, rod and to exert pressure on the other clamping member to firmlyclamp the rail between two members and secure, the rail to saidtie-plate.

Ll. A, rail ln'ace comprising two tie plates adapted to be secured tothe opposite ends ol the saine tie and to support the, two rails olt atrack, clamping members rigidly secured to the lateral edges ot said tieplates and arranged to engage the outer flanges olE the respectiverails, other clamping inelubers arranged adjacent to the msm-tive tieplates to engage the inner edges of said rail.

miente a connecting rod, and means carried by said rod to exert clampingpressure upon the several clai'nping members.

ln a device of the character described, the combination, with two tieplates interposed between the tivo rails of a track and a tie, each tieplate having a clamping member rigidly secured thereto at one lateraledge ther-col and adapted to engage the outer lian ol? the respectiverails, each ot' said clamping members having apertures therein beneathsaid rail and alongside of the tie on which the plate rests, and a rodadapted to extend through the apertures of both clamping members, of asecond clamping nuanher mounted on said rod adjacent o the edge ou" eachtie plate to engage the inner flanges oil' the respective rails, aspacing member mounted on said rod andengaging the inner ends of saidsecond clamping members, and means carried by said rod to exert pressureon the outer end of the firstmentioned clamping member.

o, ln a device ol the character described, tac combination, with tivotie plates, each i lapted to extend l'ieneath the full Width a rail,means to rigidly secure said plates to the opposite ends oll a tiebeneath. the re spective rails ol'v a track, a clamping member torinedintegral with each clamping plate. projecting beyond one edge thereoiand adapted to engage the adjacent edge of the correspinuling rail, eachclamping member having a portion arranged beneath said rail andjnovidedivith an aperture, a rodA witending through the apertures olfthe two clamping memhirs and arranged. along side ot said tie andbeneath the upper surface thereof, of other clamping members mounted onsaid rod to engage the inner edges of the respective rails, and means toforce said clamping members into clamping engagement with the respectiverails.

i". .fr combinedclamping and tie platel comprising a body portionadapted to project beneath Athe lull width of a rail, and a clampingmember lormed integral with one end ot said plate, projecting beyond thelateral edge tlufreolE and adapted to engage the flange oi' said rail,said clamping member also having a portion extending below said rail andprovided with an opening` arranged transversely to said rail to receivea coniu-cting member.

l-i. il combined clamping and tie plate compris-ingr a body portionadapted to extend beneath the V,Full width oi a rail and to la rigidlysecured to a tie, clamping members formed inlcoral with one end of saidbody pu ion, projerting beyond the opposite la if al edgesthereof,arranged to engage the outer flange of a rail and ha ving portions ar-'angljed below the upper f-urliu-e o'lx said body portion and providedwith apertures extending transversely to the rail.

9. A 'combined clamping and tic plate comprising a body portion adaptedto tend beneath the full width oi a rail and having a transverseshoulder at one end thereof to engage the edge ot the flange ci' saidrail, a clamping` member formed integral with one end ot' .said bodyportion and projecting beyond the lateral edge thereof, at one end ofsaid shoulder, and adapted to engage the flange ot' said rail.

lo. lna device ot' the character described, the combination, with a tieplate adapted to extend beneath the full Width of a rail, ay clampingmember rigidly secured to one end of said tie plate and projectingbeyond one ol" the lateral edges thereoll and arranged to engage theadjacent iange of a rail, a second clamping member arranged adjacent tosaid lateral edge ol vsaid tie plate and adapted to engage the oppositeflange oi said rail, cach of said clamping members having an aperturedlug depending beneath the upper surface ot said tie plate, said lugsentende ing inward, to points near the cen Ver of said rail, and aclamping rod extending through said apertured lugs.

il. ln a rail brace, the combination., with a. rail seat comprising aplate adapted to extend beneath the `t'nll Width of a rail, and a ishplate rigidly secured to the lirst-lnentioned plate, oi clamping membersarranged to engage the opposite flanges of said rail, one of saidclamping` members being rigidly connected with said rail seat and theother of said clamping members beirg free to move relatively to saidrail seat, and means to cause said clamping` members to exert clampingaction on said rail.

l2. A..combined ciampi/ng and tie plate comprising a body portionadapted to project beneath the full Width of a rail, and a clampingmember permanently secured to said plate at one end tliereoi,.projectingbeyond `the lateral edge olf said plate and adapted to ei'igage theflange ol said rail,

' saidclamping member also having a portion extendingbelow said rail andprovided with an opening arranged transversely to said rail to receive aconnecting member.

13. A combined clamping und tie plate comprising a body portion adapted`to extend beneath the full width ol a rail and'to be rigidly secured toa. tie, clamping members rigidly sec'red to said body portion near oneend thereof and projecting beyond the opposite lateral edges ot saidplate, both clamping members beingI arranged to engage one llangc ot'the rail and both having portions arranged below tno upper surface ofsaid body portion and provided with apertures extending lransverwly losaid rail.

1.4. A, combined clamping and lie plate con'1j'n'if-,iiig a body portionadapted to ox'- tend beneath the lull width ol' a rail, and having atransverse shoulder at one end thereof to engage the edge of the Hungeof In testimony whereof, I nflx my signature sald m11, a eamplng membersecured to sind 1n presence of two wltnesses.

end of Suid body portion, projectinga beyond l JOHN G. MUELLER. thelateral edge thereof at one end of said Witnesses:

shoulder and adapted to engage the ange F. W. SCHAEFER.

of said rail. H. L. HAMMAKER.

